Can we work with your organisation?
We can work with most companies and or Charites. We currently are working with or have worked with:- Schools, Disability CIC, Guiding, Scouting, Social Services, Adult services.
Our usual working practice is to have a high ratio of leaders to service users.
Adult/Child Services and Schools
A Forest School can significantly enhance children's services in several ways:
- Holistic Development: Forest Schools support the physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development of children through experiential learning in nature. This approach helps children build confidence, resilience, and problem-solving skills, contributing positively to their overall well-being.
- Behavioural Improvement: Engaging with nature can reduce stress and behavioural issues. The outdoor, hands-on activities promote calmness and focus, which can help manage and improve behavioural challenges often seen in traditional classroom settings.
- Social Skills Enhancement: Forest Schools encourage collaborative activities and group problem-solving, fostering teamwork, communication, and empathy among children. These social skills are essential for healthy relationships and integration within community services.
- Emotional Well-being: Time spent in nature has been shown to improve mental health by reducing anxiety and depression. Forest Schools provide a nurturing environment where children can explore, take risks, and express themselves freely, contributing to better emotional health.
- Educational Enrichment: Forest Schools offer an alternative learning environment that complements traditional education. By integrating natural experiences with the curriculum, children gain a deeper understanding of subjects and develop a love for learning.
- Life Skills: Practical skills such as problem-solving, risk assessment, and self-reliance are developed through activities like building shelters, foraging, and navigating the outdoors. These life skills are beneficial for children's personal development and future success.
- Community Engagement: Forest Schools often involve local communities and parents, fostering a strong sense of community and partnership. This engagement can enhance the support network available to children and their families, strengthening overall children’s services.
By incorporating these elements, Forest Schools complement traditional children’s services, offering a comprehensive approach to fostering well-rounded, resilient, and engaged young people.
Archery For Schools and Organisations
Archery is a highly beneficial activity for children and schools for several reasons:
- Focus and Concentration: Archery requires children to concentrate on their target and technique, which helps improve their focus and attention. This skill translates well into academic settings, enhancing their ability to concentrate on classroom tasks and assignments.
- Physical Coordination: The sport involves hand-eye coordination, balance, and fine motor skills. Mastering the precise movements required in archery can boost overall physical coordination and dexterity.
- Confidence Building: As children see their skills improve and achieve personal goals in archery, their self-esteem and confidence grow. Setting and reaching targets fosters a sense of accomplishment and motivates them to tackle challenges.
- Patience and Perseverance: Archery teaches patience, as mastering the technique requires consistent practice and persistence. This encourages children to persevere through difficulties and setbacks, which is valuable in both academic and personal pursuits.
- Stress Relief: The focused and meditative nature of archery can be a relaxing and stress-relieving activity. It provides an opportunity for children to unwind and manage anxiety in a constructive way.
- Teamwork and Social Skills: While archery is often an individual sport, it can also be practiced in a group setting. This environment fosters teamwork, communication, and camaraderie among participants.
- Discipline and Responsibility: Archery requires adherence to safety protocols and respect for equipment. These aspects instil a sense of responsibility and discipline in children, reinforcing the importance of following rules and taking care of their possessions.
- Inclusivity: Archery is accessible to children of various abilities and can be adapted to different skill levels, making it an inclusive activity that encourages participation from all students.
Overall, archery offers a range of physical, psychological, and social benefits, making it a valuable addition to school programs and extracurricular activities.
Schools In The Forest & Other School Services
Our unique outdoor education style is to build self confidence and mutual respect for all in children, encourage thinking out of the box to promote individual ideas. Problem solving to promote team building and mutual respect for every one of their peers. We encourage all children to speak out and to listen to their peers. We encourage them to try their idea's to see what works and maybe does not work and how to improve it. These skills can transfer back into the classroom and home environments.
How do the skills learnt in forest fit the school curriculum, or help with in a school/home enviroment?
Maths:- Map and compass work, wood lengths for shelter (fractions),
Science:- Nature itself, Fire elements, water purification, friction, building science, engineering etc.
English:- Verbal communication, reasoning, Radio Communication, Spelling with Nato phonetic alphabet, non verbal communications etc
Physical education:- Shelter building, fire building, archery, woodland games, they rarely sit down on any of the main activities etc.
Food and cooking:- Food groups for survival, backwards cooking, basic foraging,
As we are in an outdoor setting the way of learning is very child led at each child's own pace. This is possible with our high adult to child ratio. We teach children how to use tools safely where appropriate and required, especially knife safety and the law concerning knives.
If you have children that are on the in child in need stage with Social Services, we can work with the parents and help them unite and even help translate the reports and work with them as ex therapeutic foster carers, and how to move forward. Try and keep that communication with the family and social services going as often this breaks down very quickly. Often social workers and schools are seen as the enemy by parents. We will be an advocate for the family we are working with. (Work in their best interest) We will work with each family on an individual basis to give support where they need it.
There have been many studies that have been done on the positive and calming effect of the woodland on humans of all ages. Its a place where for that session technology use is discouraged and that unless emergency phones and tablets remain out of sight and hand. Its encouraged to join as a family unit no matter what their family status.
Adventurous Activities
Some of our Forest School Leaders hold other nationally recognised qualifications so can offer more than basic forest activities. A list of other activities we run as BushKraft for social care below.
Outdoor Archery
swimming teaching
Overnight camping (Equipment & food supplied)
Indoor wall climbing
Outdoor raft building, rowing, kayaking and other water sports.
Ready to find out more?
Contact us to find out more via our contact page, which has all of our contact details. Contact Us